My husband and I have lived all our married life on one wage, all the bills were paid on time. My husband was a shift worker, so there was no opportunity for me to go back to work after the birth of our children.

Do not get me wrong, things were not alway as rosy as the first sentence could possibly lead you to believe. When we first moved into our home, we had bare floor boards, an old style wooden table and chairs that belonged to my mother and father, the table was at least 60 yrs old. A fifty year old bed but a new mattress. That was the only brand new thing we had in the house. The floor boards were covered in rugs, lifting the carpet a few years ago to get new carpet bought back memories the redclay footprints were still on the floor boards from when we moved in. Those were happy days, struggling to get things together for a home and family.

We struggled as a family to get things together on one wage but we made it through. Today my daughters are married with homes of their own to furnish. Struggling as a family has taught my girls to appreciate the small things in life, which has made us proud.

There is still more to this story, there were many arguments in our home over money, my husband was a smoker, and a drinker, he still is a drinker, we are also now on the pension. Putting two daughter through school was hard but with the help of my parents for the first few years made life a little bit easier. An one wage family can not afford to have some one in the family pulling at the bank balance selfishly, for cigarettes and alcohol. He unfortunately wanted a lot of things his own way because he was the main bread winner.

I used to wish for a rainbow to fall over my home sometimes and make the bank balance look a great deal healthier. Unfortunately it never did, in a way I was lucky as not having much money, taught my daughters that it does not matter what kind of job their husbands, had they did not worry because they loved their husbands. My daughters and their husbands have level heads on their shoulders, which is great.

My experience in life, working hard to make the money go round has made me appreciate life and what I have in a family with my daughters. Sometimes a bit extra money would have helped, but it never happened.

A motto I learned very early in life is "We have a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, food on the table and the bills are paid, what else matters." Life can be happy. Try not to argue over money in your marriage as it never gets you anywhere.

Learn more about this author, Barb.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Does money really bring happiness??
We want to hear your view. Write now!